MC20 Oil On Water Sampling Track: Field Research Data from 2016-2018

Field research data were collected as part of NOAA's Deepwater Horizon Lessons Learned Studies on detecting oil thickness and emulsion mixtures. The dataset includes synoptic satellite imagery, airborne imagery, surface oil characterization, and water chemistry from the Mississippi Canyon lease block #20 (MC20) site, which has a chronic oil discharge. This research was funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, with data collected in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Use Cases

• Develop remote sensing algorithms for oil slick coverage based on satellite and airborne imagery mentioned in the description.
• Model oil emulsion mixtures and thickness based on surface oil characterization and chemistry data.
• Validate oil spill detection methods using field survey data from a chronic discharge site.
• Analyze subsurface oil slick dynamics based on the synoptic data collection approach described.

Strengths

• Data collection spans three years (2016, 2017, 2018), providing temporal context.
• Research was funded by authoritative U.S. agencies (DOI, BSEE, NOAA).
• Includes multiple data modalities (satellite, airborne, surface, chemistry) for a synoptic view.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific MC20 lease block site.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.

Collection Method

Field research involving synoptic collection of satellite imagery, airborne imagery, surface characterization, and water chemistry.

Time Range

2016, 2017, 2018.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:31:54.100637; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Mississippi Canyon lease block #20 (MC20), Louisiana, North America.